By Nick Gustafson
The Broncos kept their playoff hopes alive with a big win over the Giants on Thanksgiving Day. That win not only keeps them in contention to win their division, but they are also currently leading the AFC wild card race. Looking like they did the first six weeks of the season, the Broncos dominated the Giants and never allowed them to get into any sort of rhythm. The Broncos controlled both lines of scrimmage and managed to get a big win even with sloppy play in the red zone. Coach McDaniels still has a few weeks against relatively poor opponents to straighten out his team’s red zone problems, but settling for field goals instead of touchdowns will surely make any post season run a short lived one.
The Broncos are back on track and set to play what could be one of their more important games of the season. This weekend the Broncos travel to Kansas City to play the Chiefs in what is a very winnable game for Denver. Unfortunately the Broncos have an abysmal record against the Chiefs at Arrowhead and this is one of the classic trap games that could potentially kill the Broncos run for the playoffs. In the past couple weeks the Chiefs have shown significant improvement with back to back wins over the Raiders and the Steelers, but then quickly fell back to earth in a blow out loss to the Chargers this past weekend. Even though the Broncos traditionally struggle at Arrowhead they will need to find a way to beat the Chiefs who are slowly getting better and will surely be hoping to avoid a second embarrassing loss in as many weeks.
A big part of any team’s success is directly related to how healthy a team can stay and the Broncos have been fairly lucky in that department. Other than a few minor bumps and bruises the Broncos have managed to avoid the plague of season ending injuries that was all too common last year. The only significant injury the Broncos have sustained this season has been losing right tackle Ryan Harris for a few weeks and they are hoping that he can return and play this weekend. Kyle Orton’s injured ankle didn’t prove to be much of a hindrance versus the Giants and with a few extra days to rest he should be more than ready for the Chiefs this weekend.
The past few years the Broncos have disappointed their fans by fading down the stretch. A lack of veteran leadership, injuries, and poor performances has contributed to the Broncos playing some of their worst football late in the season and has caused them to miss the playoffs for the past 3 years. This year the Broncos seem poised to play some of their best football in recent memory. The Broncos have a favorable schedule heading into the playoffs and with a little luck still stand a chance at winning their division. If they can stay healthy, continue to improve, and eliminate their red zone ills the Broncos may just make this a December to remember.
